Donations update

BEIRUT — To all donors and contributors: A while back I sought donations for a reporting trip to Iran, and raised about $2,000. I was in the process of getting visa applications together and making other plans when the new war here broke out. Now, I’m running into a cash crunch because there are no dollars to be had in Lebanon (you can only withdraw Lebanese pounds) and rates for drivers and translators have gone up to about $300 per day. I am getting reimbursed for some — not all — of these expenses from my freelancing, but at the moment I need to pay these guys working for me.
So the Iran trip is, obviously, off. In the next day or so I will move the funds for the Iran trip into my checking account so I can continue to cover this war. If anyone who donated does not wish their donation to be used for this purpose, please let me know either in the comments or via email and I will refund your donation. I will wait a couple of days for responses to this post, but after that, I will be transferring the funds so they’ll be available to me here in Beirut. (ATMs still work.)
Also, if you want to donate to support the coverage of the Lebanese war, feel free! (Donation button to the right and at the bottom.) I’d be most grateful. I’ll also be rebranding this site in the coming days. assuming I have time. Yes, Back-to-Iraq.com likely will be no more. My original idea, “Warchaser.com,” is catchy, but doesn’t capture the mood I want. I’m still thinking about it.
Above all, sorry for the change of plans, folks. Israel threw a curveball at us.