Secretary of State John Kerry has confirmed the Obama administration is actively involved in efforts to arm Syrian rebels in their fight against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking during a visit to Qatar, Kerry said although the United States does not arm the rebels directly, it has held extensive discussions to ensure weapons provided by Persian Gulf nations are reaching the opposition groups the U.S. prefers.

Secretary of State John Kerry: “We did discuss the question of the ability to try to guarantee that it’s going to the right people and to the moderate Syrian opposition coalition, and I think it’s really in the last months that that has developed as a capacity that we have greater confidence in.”