WASHINGTON — In a startling development, emails leaked from the Central Intelligence Agency have revealed what many in the intelligence community have been whispering: Former NBA star Dennis Rodman’s recent “basketball diplomacy” trip to North Korea was actually a CIA mission to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

"The plan was that U.S. military units would be ready to roll north across the DMZ as soon as they got wind that the mission was successful," said a senior intelligence official. "We spent years secretly coordinating with top North Korean generals to stand their divisions down and hand us the keys to their chemical weapons. But like usual, Rodman had to screw it up. Now his cover is blown and years of effort are wasted."