Al Jazeera's top exec steps down, but why?

Al Jazeera's director general, Wadah Khanfar, announced Tuesday that he will step down after eight years as the network's top executive.

Khanfar told The Guardian newspaper: "We have been talking in this part of the world about change, about presidents who stay for decades in their posts. I thought maybe it is good to give an example as well, while the network is at the peak of its performance. It's the right moment."

As is the case with much Middle East news, the official reason is being widely brushed aside as the real reason for this event. According to The New York Times, Khanfar wrote on his Twitter feed: "Entertained by all the rumors of why I have resigned."

Much of the speculation for Khanfar's resignation revolves around Al Jazeera's coverage of the Arab Spring. The network - which pioneered independent Arab-centric news coverage - has been accused of favoring causes dear to Qatar's ruling family.

The Guardian writes: "It is thought that Khanfar had become too independent a figure for the Qataris, and that he had come under pressure from them."

It is true that Sheikh Ahmad bin Jassim bin Mohammad Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family with uncertain media credentials, has been appointed as Khanfar's replacement. The network's website offered no biographical information on the new top executive.

Those details mean that particular rumor will be hard to quash.

Another rumor centers around the recent release of WikiLeaks cables claiming Khanfar admitted to altering the network's coverage of the Iraq war in a few stories because of U.S. government requests.

The New York Times attempted to link the WikiLeaks cable release - which only tells the story from a diplomat's perspective - and Khanfar's resignation in a headline that read "After Disclosures by WikiLeaks, Al Jazeera Replaces Its Top News Director."

However, as The Times itself admits, the cable was released recently, and Khanfar told The Guardian he had been discussing his resignation with the network for some months now.

Whatever the reason for his stepping down, the legacy of the Palestinian-born former field correspondent Khanfar as a remarkable news pioneer is secure.

Al Jazeera English has begun to run on some American cable provider systems in recent months, a move unthinkable at the height of the Bush administration's animus for it. Al Jazeera can take credit for some of the best coverage of the Arab Spring and other recent momentous events. Its website and news reports are now viewed by countless millions of people, and that includes millions of people outside of the Muslim world.