In response to a U.S. raid on a building in Syria last Sunday, the Syrian government demanded an apology from the United States Wednesday, and said it expected compensation for the damage caused by the attack.

The United States said the strike against the Syrian target had been carried out because a prominent Al Qaeda member was hiding in the building, from which foreign Al Qaeda fighters were smuggled into Iraq.

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad told the Associated Press that this was not the case. “We ask of them (Iraqis) and the Americans to investigate and provide us with the background for such a criminal, terrorist act against an independent state … (and) make an official apology for this aggression and pledge not to repeat it,” he said.

“What is required of the American government is to confess to this aggression and not be cowardly.”

“The allegation that this person was killed is a false claim. Therefore, a search for him by world intelligence agencies, including Syria’s, should continue,” Mekdad said.

The U.S. Embassy in Syria meanwhile warned Americans in that country. “The American community in Syria should be aware that unforeseen events or circumstances may occur that could cause the U.S. Embassy in Damascus to close to the public for an unspecified period of time,” the embassy said in a statement published on its website.

And so the situation in the region continues to escalate, but, for now, Syria’s talking the tough talk, but not walking the walk. One could argue that the Syrians are quite powerless when it comes to acting against U.S. strikes against targets in Syria. The Syrian military is relatively weak, and the U.S. has enough forces in Iraq to make it increasingly difficult for Syria to smuggle terrorists into Iraq in order to fight the U.S. there.

However, the more the U.S. steps up its efforts against Syria the more likely it is that Damascus will focus on Lebanon and try to control it again. This is something the U.S. should keep in mind when it acts against Syria – the Syrians are not as powerless as some may think; they can strike against U.S. interests in other parts of the region.