Darth Vader has announced the assassination of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Galactic Empire Times is reporting.

The spoof appears in a knockoff website of the New York Times and is done amazingly well.

Not only did a few intrepid wordsmiths put together the tongue-firmly-in-cheek hard news story, someone with Photoshop skills put Vader in front of a podium lifted from the White House.

The story follows the unfolding saga of al Qaeda terrorist and leader Osama bin Laden's death at the hands of Navy SEALS a week ago. A piece of brilliant satire:

Kenobi and a group of his followers were eventually captured while fleeing the system, and taken aboard the Death Star, which was in the midst of surveying the recent environmental disaster on Alderaan. Darth Vader called it a “targeted operation,” although officials said four tie fighters were lost because of "mechanical failures" and had to be destroyed to keep them from falling into hostile hands.

In addition to Kenobi, two men and one wookiee were killed, one believed to be his young apprentice and the other two his couriers, according to an admiral who briefed reporters under Imperial ground rules forbidding further identification. A woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant, the Admiral said. Two droids were also reported missing.

Some folks obviously have too much time on their hands, but fans of Star Wars and devotes of satire everywhere are surely celebrating.

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