From what I’ve read, the aircraft that the SEALs called for (and that could have been there within an hour, from Italy) can fly high above where they could be seen, and still hit the target. I don’t know how anti-aircraft stuff works, or the manpads, but I’d think it would be hard to aim anything at a plane too high for you to see...
That gunship could have cleared the area, in a New York minute, making way for helicopters to off-load fast-roping back-ups.
I suspect many US Soldiers would have gladly taken on the mission.
Just needed a leader to give the command...