Our foreign Secretary William Hague heads to Brussels to attended the European Union Council of ministers meeting monday ( 27 May), to discuss, among other issues, amending the embargo on providing arms to Syrian rebels fighting to overthrew the  dictatorial regime of President Bashar al-Assad in a two year bloody civil war that claimed an estimated 94,000 lives and turned near one fifth of the population into refugees . Backed mainly by France, Hague wants to amend the embargo ( which comes to an end or renewal at midnight Friday 31 May), in order to supply more equipment to the rebels. In February, the UK and France persuaded other member states, overcoming considerable reluctance, to allow the supply to the rebels of non-lethal military equipment for defensive purposes.

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