EU plans further economic help to Syrian rebels

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's plan to ease an oil embargo to help Syrian rebels is a "pragmatic experiment" that could lead to further lifting of sanctions to tilt the balance of the conflict against President Bashar al-Assad, a senior EU official said on Friday.

Next week, EU governments will allow purchases of oil from the opposition, as part of a broader effort to help rebels waging a two-year uprising against Assad in which an estimated 70,000 people have died. The conflict is broadly in stalemate.