US 'considers sending armour and vehicles to Syria rebels' John Kerry, the Secretary of State, was expected to discuss the proposed policy change with officials during his nine-nation tour of European and Arab capitals, according to the Washington Post. US officials remain opposed to sending weapons to the rebels, it said. Mr Kerry is to meet Syrian opposition leaders at a "Friends of Syria" conference in Rome on Thursday. CNN published a similar story on its website, citing a source as saying that the United States was "looking to remove restrictions on 'dual-use' equipment" and, according to another source, that the administration was moving toward providing humanitarian aid directly to the Syrian Opposition Coalition. Rebels have been fighting the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad since an uprising against his rule erupted in March 2011. The United Nations says the conflict has claimed 70,000 lives. On Monday in London, Mr Kerry said President Barack Obama was evaluating more steps to "fulfil our obligation to innocent people," but did not give details or say whether Washington was reconsidering whether to arm the rebels. "We are determined that the Syrian oppositions is not going to be dangling in the wind," he said. Mr Kerry also said the continued violence in Syria, which the United Nations estimates has killed 70,000 people, represented further evidence that it was time for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to relinquish his post. At the same time, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, called for support for Syria's opposition to be increased significantly in order to help bring the protracted conflict to an end. The United States has provided millions of dollars for food, medical care and clothing for Syrians and refugees, but has not sent aid directly to the rebels or the political opposition. Source: Reuters and AFP