Mariam Yahya Ibrahim and her American husband Daniel.
In Star Wars, a shaken Obi-Wan Kenobi announces he "feels a great disturbance in The Force" as if "something terrible has happened."
Today the force at Foggy Bottom was also disturbed by something terrible. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf announced the U.S. government was "deeply disturbed" over Sudan's decision to execute Christian Mariam Yahya Ibrahim on charges of apostasy. Before her hanging, she'll receive 100 lashes for allegedly committing adultery.
In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker and the Federation respond to evil by destroying the Death Star responsible for the destruction of the planet Alderaan. The movie is the classic, "good guys fight bad guys, good triumphs over evil" scenario.
The problem today in Washington is the "good guys" think their country has behaved badly, and believe they can make things right by making valid, reasoned arguments when other people act badly.
That approach has worked well, hasn't it? Just ask Russian President Vladimir Putin. Telling him that he was on the wrong side of history sure stopped Russian annexation of Crimea, didn't it?
In Star Wars, a reasoned appeal with Darth Vader would not have stopped his evil; he would have continued to destroy more planets if Skywalker hadn't taken forceful, decisive action to destroy the Death Star.
And so it is with Sudan's President Omar el Bashir, Think of South Sudan, Darfur, millions of lives lost and disrupted, human rights violations in the name of Islam, and his heart blackened by oil. He's Africa's Darth Vader.
An International Criminal Court warrant is still out for Bashir's arrest. The White House should give him a stern warning: "You are a wanted man. We got Bin Laden and you'll be much easier to apprehend. We'll come and get you if you don't immediately release this innocent woman!"
As Bashir prepares to execute a Christian for apostasy (even though she claims she never practiced Islam), the United States responds by saying it is "deeply disturbed."
That'll show Bashir!
Where's Luke Skywalker when you need him? Both he and the U.S. State Department, are still living in a "galaxy far, far away."