Good mornin’ ducks.  Happy Memorial Day.

• The US public today, despite strong support for the military, is the least connected to the institution.  Only about 0.5% of the population has served on active duty since 9/11 (roughly 9% of the population served in WWII).
• The FAS revisits the potentially staggering costs of a war with Iran under different scenarios in the wake of the passage of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act.
  
• Is al-Assad and the new National Defence Force winning the civil war in Syria?  (The article has some useful graphics)
• The US is happy that India has cut oil imports from Iran by 27%.  Of course, if Iran is isolated, India will have less ability to stabilize Afghanistan… not that India is showing much inclination of giving the Afghans artillery and attack helicopters despite India’s rhetoric of being net supplier of security in the region.
• Mira Nair discusses her film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist.” Although I have my critiques of Nair’s film, it is at the very least a wonderful antidote to the mindless terror/torture porn of “Zero Dark Thirty” or “Homeland.”  (Riz Ahmed gives a brilliant performance in Nair’s film by the way…)
• Here is something to give you a bit of hope after the Woolwich killing.
• Finally, part 8 of Suvudu’s “Greek Myth in the Game of Thrones” argues that Stannis is Apollo.

Image Source: Urban Breeze Trading: Army Duck Pack of 12