Syria: U.S. may face painful measures over raid - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Syria: U.S. may face painful measures over raid

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s foreign minister says his country may resort to more “painful” measures if the United States doesn’t give an official explanation for a deadly cross-border raid.

Syria retaliated to the Oct. 26 U.S. raid that it says killed eight people by ordering the closure of an American school and cultural center in Damascus.

But Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem says those measures were “introductory.” He warns Syria could escalate its response in the future. He did not elaborate.

Al-Moallem spoke Sunday in a TV interview with the Lebanese ANB satellite station.

Washington hasn’t formally acknowledged the raid. But U.S. officials say the target was a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure.