Pentagon: No Sign Of North Korea Instability

There are no signs that the security situation in North Korea has been destabilized following the death of Kim Jong Il, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters Wednesday.

“We have not seen any unusual North Korean troop movements since the death of Kim Jong Il,” Little said. “That would be one indicator of a less than smooth transition.”

On Monday, General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the U.S. is watching the region with vigilance, but does not anticipate having to change its military posture.

Top Military Officer: U.S. Vigilant Following Kim Jong Il's Death

General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday that the U.S. is on guard following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, but that changes in America’s military policy towards the country will likely go unchanged.

“I don’t think you’ll see any change in our posture. There’s no change in our readiness position,” General Dempsey said during a townhall Monday with U.S. servicemembers at the Ramstein Airbase in Germany.

Dempsey, the  country’s highest ranking military officer, noted that the U.S. was aware that the North Korean leader had been in poor health for quite a while and has explored possible post-Kim Jong Il scenarios.

“We think we know what succession looks,” Dempsey said. “But we’re not certain of it.”

Kim, 69, reportedly died of a heart attack. He is expected to be succeeded by his twenty-something year old son Kim Jong Un.

U.S. Officially Declares Iraq War Over

The U.S. officially declared an end to the war in Iraq Thursday, holding a ceremony in the country to retire the flag for U.S. forces in Iraq.

The ceremony, attended by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, comes a little over two weeks before all troops are expected leave the country.

The U.S. still has approximately 5,500 soldiers still in the country, according to the American Forces Press Service.

Report: U.S. Drone Crashes At Seychelles Airport

The U.S. embassy in the island nation of Seychells says that an American drone has crashed at the country’s international airporport, according to Reuters.

A Defense Department spokesperson could not confirm the report.

News of the possible crash comes shortly after the Iranian state media reported that the military had shot down an American drone that was in the country’s airspace earlier this month. The aircraft is allegedly still in Iran’s possession.

Cheney Says U.S. Should Have Destroyed Downed Drone

Former Vice President Dick Cheney believes the President Barack Obama should have destroyed the American drone currently in the Iranian government’s possession.

“They’ll send it back in pieces after they’ve gotten all the intelligence they can out of it,” Cheney warned during an interview on CNN Monday.

The former Vice President explained that the U.S. could have staged a quick air strike to destroy the drone or, more difficultly, send in special operations forces.

According to ISAF forces, the drone is likely one that disappeared while flying over Western Afghanistan in late November. State television in Iran reported that the drone was shot down when detected in the country’s airspace.

Obama told reporters Monday that the U.S. has asked Iran to return the drone, but acknowledged that the request will not likely be heeded.