There were secret orders to be `` prepared '' to stop a cargo ship loaded with arms . The U.S. and Israel noticed the ship in the Persian Gulf diverted to Iraq to load up . A second American official confirmed that U.S. intelligence and the Israelis became aware of the effort by Iran to smuggle the weapons several days ago . They knew that if they stopped it, then there would be no way for them to get their hands on any weapons from Saddam Hussein's arsenal of chemical and biological agents.
There were secret orders to be `` prepared '' to stop a cargo ship loaded with arms . The U.S. and Israel noticed the ship in the Persian Gulf diverted to Iraq to load up . They knew that if they stopped it, then there would be no way for them to get their hands on any weapons from Saddam Hussein's arsenal of chemical and biological agents.