When we launched our project in support of the pro-democracy demonstrators in Lebanon we received a few emails asking “what are you doing in Lebanon, what does that have to do with us?” And, “what does this have to do with helping the Marines in Iraq?” Those are good questions.

Following are answers. First, a summary, then a longer explanation. You can also read the perspectives of Marines we know.

For those who just contributed for the first time with the Lebanon project, our first projects in 2003 were responses to requests from Marines serving in Iraq. Since then we have met requests from Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan for everything from television station equipment for Iraqi TV stations and sewing machines for women’s economic development to medicine, soccer balls and books for children.

The beauty of our approach (in my opinion) is that people choose which projects they support. Some people like to help children. Others want to support democracy-building efforts.

To us, these projects share much in common – they help build a foundation and create conditions for free and peaceful societies.

SUMMARY Here are very short answers to very good questions. Longer answers follow.

“Why Lebanon? What does this have to do with us?” 9/11. Terrorism.

“What does this have to do with the Marines?” The connection with Marines is an indirect one. If Lebanon succeeds in winning its independence and having free elections, fewer Marines and others will ultimately be asked to fight and die.

"What about Iraq?" We continue to do our best to meet every request we receive from Americans serving in Iraq. We post requests we receive on our Web site and attempt to raise funds for them. We continue to support the Iraq group Friends of Democracy. Our America-Iraq School Partners program is moving along well. (We have been much better at producing results than communicating them. That’s something we’re fixing.)

THE LONG VERSION: WHY LEBANON? I started Spirit of America in the wake of 9/11. I wanted some way to contribute. 9/11 made me see that there was a link between freedom around the world and our own security and well being. 9/11 also made me see that we need to strengthen relations between Americans and people in countries that are not yet free.

The main motivation behind what we do is to see that freedom prevails in the world. We think that advancing the most noble ideals for which America stands is important and deserves our best effort. This is the common thread between helping a Marine in Iraq do something for local people, helping a pro-democracy demonstrator in a not-free country like Lebanon and providing an Arabic blogging tool (aka, an Internet publishing tool) to enable free expression in the Middle East.

We also seek to establish and strengthen relations between Americans and people in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Providing a way for Americans as individuals to reach out,help people abroad and make a personal impact is a key part of what we do.

A free and democratic Lebanon will be a more peaceful and prosperous country. It will be a better home for the dreams of its people and a better friend to the American people and its neighbors. It will be a powerful force for positive change in the Middle East. It will reduce terrorism. Ultimately, fewer people will fight and die if there is a free and democratic Lebanon.

One person who emailed suggested we should let the U.S. Government provide help to Lebanon. Two challenges with that. One, the Lebanese pro-democracy demonstrators would not accept material support from the US Government. Doing so would undermine their entire movement. Two, the situation in Lebanon required fast action, flexibility and rapid response. While the Government has many qualities, speed and responsiveness are not high among them.

WHAT ABOUT THE MARINES (and other Americans serving abroad)? We are in regular contact with Americans serving in Iraq (and to a lesser extent Afghanistan). There has been an ebb and flow to the requests from the American personnel in Iraq because there has been an ebb and flow to the situation there. If we don’t get requests, we don’t do things. We don’t try to convince anyone to do something they don’t already want to do.

Take Fallujah as an example. The Marines were in combat not rebuilding mode for quite a while. Then they were then focused on security for elections. And then in March there was a complete rotation: the Marines we had been working with left Iraq and new ones deployed and we began making new contacts. All the way along, we do our best to fulfill every request we get from a Marine, or any other American, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I was in Iraq last spring and spent time with the Marines in Ramadi and Fallujah. To their credit the Marines are exceptionally mission focused. They made it clear that one of the best ways we could help them was to not work with them but to directly help Iraqis without Marines in the loop. They didn’t care if they got credit. They wanted Iraq to be free and secure so they could go home.

Based on that input we have selectively worked directly with Iraqis on what we think are very high impact projects to advance freedom and democracy in Iraq. The best example is our support for Iraq’s Jan. 30th elections. None of these things involved U.S. personnel. It is clear that the success of Iraq’s elections was a crucial turning point. And that is a beautiful thing.

I hope this explanation is helpful.