The delay, no pun intended, in responses to NO was due to

[patrice]

Pork Barrel politics as usual.

There would be people trying to be sure that certain other people get to add this response/job to their resume, and also, of course, the contracts to be let to "the right people".

[aquart]

1. I don't care why.

They let their own people die.

They killed their own people.

Saddam killed his own people.

Let's get out of Iraq and stop killing our own people. We have no right to judge anyone.