Al-Akhbar is becoming more and more independent and partly by default. Everybody is now mad at Al-Akhbar. Hizbullah has been very angry with Al-Akhbar especially after Wikileaks exposed and embarrassed key people in the Amal Movement--the sectarian ally of Hizbullah. What does Hizbullah think? That because Al-Akhbar supports resistance to Israel that it should then endorses its ideology and then protects its lousy sectarian allies? The Syrian regime is also furious with the paper and has been banning it. That is good. As for the House of Saud? Who cares about that STD support group.