re: #57 EdDantes

Several hours had elapsed. I don’t know exactly how many. Here is a link from cnn.

[Link: www.cnn.com…]

If you mean after the attack was underway, I’ve already answered that:

Help was not sent because there was no sufficient help to send. To have sent a drone would have been to risk unacceptable collateral damage from its area-fire weapons. To have sent transport helicopters with a relief team (even if they were available, there were no Ah-64s to hand) would have been to risk their loss to the SA-24 we had to assume the terrorists had access to.

Help was not sent because there was nothing to send that could have done any good at an acceptable risk.