U.S. Won't Confirm Syrian Raid; Damascus Fumes

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2008— -- One day after American special forces launched an attack against an alleged terrorist ringleader inside Syria near its border with Iraq, the United States has yet to offer an official acknowledgement the incident even took place.

"The United States government has not commented on reports about that, and I'm not able to here, either," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters. The Pentagon and State Department also refused to confirm or deny the attack.

However, several U.S. officials, on condition of anonymity, tell ABC News that U.S. troops entered Syria via helicopter to target Abu Ghadiya, an Iraqi who, for four years, allegedly ran a smuggling ring in Syria to shepherd foreign fighters into Iraq.

U.S. sources say they believe Abu Ghadiya was killed in the attack. They described him as "a major facilitator of foreign fighters in Iraq."

The Associated Press quotes a villager who says he saw U.S. troops grab at least two men and take them away in the helicopters.

The Syrian government, meanwhile, offered a blistering condemnation, calling the attack "cowboy politics."

"We consider this criminal and terrorist aggression," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said. "If the U.S. does it again, we will defend our territory."

Syria accuses the United States of attacking a building in Syria and killing eight civilians, including one woman. Damascus insists that there was no justifiable terror target for the attack.

A shaky video of the incident surfaced today, providing the first purported evidence of the U.S. raid in progress. The tape, first reported by Syria News, shows what appears to be multiple helicopters circling in what local media says is Syrian territory.

Syria's foreign ministry summoned the top American diplomat in Damascus, Charge' d'Affairs Maura Connelly, to issue a formal diplomatic complaint over the incident and to request further information. Iraq's top diplomat was also called in to discuss the matter.

The State Department declined to characterize Connelly's meeting.