'Don't bother killing Joe Biden': Bin Laden diary reveals Vice-President not important enough for assassination



It is a lonely job being the Vice President - always second in command, a weak constitutional mandate and no real power.

But now Joe Biden's disappointing job description just got that little bit worse - according to Osama Bin Laden he is not even worth an assassination attempt.



The revelation comes after the terror chief's private journal fell into the hands of U.S. intelligence when it was captured in the raid on his Pakistani compound earlier this month.



Left out: Joe Biden, seen here today, was not considered important enough to waste time drawing up assassination plans for, according to Osama Bin Laden

Styled out: Joe Biden arrives at the White House today looking the part

According to ProPublica, a U.S. intelligence official said Bin Laden wrote in his journal about, 'targeting priorities' for his Al-Qaeda deputies to focus on.

Speaking about the journal, the counter terror official said: 'He says the president is of course the top target if you could get a shot at him.



'Also the military chiefs like the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the defence secretary, top military people.

'There is a note indicating that the vice president is not an important target because that position has less weight.'

Despite the matter of fact description, it is believed the list is not a concrete assassination list, but rather a set of 'strategic musings'.

Back seat: A tense Joe Biden sat alongside the President as they watch the operation against Bin Laden

Journal: The handwritten series of notes from the former terror chief lists the President, unsurprisingly, as number one on any assassination list According to another U.S official, the list was part of a message intended for a deputy.

It is not always clear if the messages were actually delivered. The material has been translated from Arabic and culled from computers, discs, thumb drives and bin Laden's handwritten notes, said the officials, who spoke to ProPublica on condition of anonymity.



It also emerged today that Bin Laden had criticised a young Yemeni extremist for a magazine article advocating the use of a 'farm vehicle with blades attached' to carry out an attack.



According to ProPublica, the magazine - called Inspire - 'apparently discussed using a tractor or farm vehicle in an attack outfitted with blades or swords as a fearsome killing machine.

The U.S. official added that in his journal: 'Bin Laden said this is something 'he did not endorse.'

'He seems taken aback. He complains that this tactical proposal promotes indiscriminate slaughter.

'He says he rejects this and it is not something that reflects what al Qaeda does.'



