Today’s legislative session in Baghdad began with a moment of silence for Lamiya Abed Khaduri. On Wednesday she became the first member of Iraq’s National Assembly to be assassinated. Gunmen shot her dead as she was standing at the doorstep to her home. Meanwhile the U.S. military has admitted the ability of the Iraqi resistance to wage attacks has not diminished at all over the past year. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Richard Myers said, “In terms of incidents, it’s right about where it was a year ago.” The U.S. reported the number of attacks decreased shortly after the January elections, but recent weeks have seen a surge in violence.