The first question that needs to be asked is if the White House received a request for help. If they did and the president decided to do nothing then they would also have not “turned down” the request - but the result would be the same
Saying that they did not turn down a request for help could easily be parsing words. Technically true - maybe they did not actively deny a reauest - but not accurate in that the result is the same.
If I understand the likely scenario, the military would have scrambled immediately, and General Ham would have notified Obama and Panetta that he was ready to go.
All he needed was authorization to cross international borders. Ham wasn’t asking for help. Obama declined to cross international borders. Technically, that was not declining a request for help.
Ya gotta parse all these weasel words. Remember Clinton? It all depends on what the definition of is is? Same thing here.