Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Tuesday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.

An-Nahar: Sleiman: Civil peace was a success in Tripoli

A week after the announcement of the Mikati government, which was mired in the Tripoli clashes, and while Prime Minister Najib Mikati launched a diplomatic campaign to mobilize Arab and Asian ambassadors as well as U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly to explain the broad outlines of the policy of his government, President Michel Sleiman gave An-Nahar an exclusive interview in which he spelled out his vision for the new Cabinet.

In a tone dominated by realistic optimism regarding the challenges facing the government, President Sleiman focused on the "part of the glass that is half full and not half empty." 

Sleiman said he believed that putting a quick end to the Tripoli fighting "indicates the government's ability to maintain stability.”

“This test was a success,” Sleiman said, pointing out that civil peace is protected by political parties. “It was obvious that everybody – both pro- and anti-government [political camps] – had a desire to bring these incidents under control.” 

Sleiman also stressed that the government will not act out in revenge. “There shall be no settling of scores.”

He reiterated that Syria was not involved in the formation of the Cabinet and that the government was the outcome of a “balance of power.”

Sleiman said he would convene all-party talks to discuss a defense strategy for Lebanon after the government gets a vote of confidence in Parliament.

Al-Akhbar: Government seeking to gain both internal, external confidence

Prime Minister Najib Mikati has started working in two directions: Intensive meetings with Arab and foreign diplomats to build external confidence and stepping up efforts to prepare the policy statement to get a vote of confidence at home.

Meanwhile, the opposition [March 14 coalition] rallied around their leader [Saad Hariri] who is outside the country to draw up a plan for confronting the pro-government team.

National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt told Al-Akhbar that while the Tripoli incident safely passed, the government has yet to pass two other threats:

1- The U.S. Congress, according to leaks, which plans a counter-attack on the Mikati government by preventing assistance for Lebanon. “I do not rule out that Lebanon is likely to become an arena for the U.S. to settle its accounts with Syria.”

2-The policy statement – its content will be no different from the previous policy statements. Lebanon is obliged to respect international resolutions.

As-Safir: Gul believes [Assad] speech ‘not enough,’ Washington calls for concrete steps Europe prepares for new sanctions

Syrian President Bashar Assad has drawn up a “road map” for constitutional changes.

Without delay, the White House urged Assad to adopt “concrete steps” to fulfill his promises of reform. The European Union, in turn, was disappointed by his speech on reforms and hinted at imposing further sanctions against Syria.

Al-Joumhouria: Hariri returning to lead the opposition, brandish slogan of confrontation

The opposition has stepped up its campaign to face up upcoming challenges. In this respect, a meeting was held in Paris Monday evening between Future Movement leader Saad Hariri and March 14 officials.

Discussions touched on ways to confront the current situation. Talks also focused on the main Lebanese and Middle Eastern headlines in view of the Arab uprisings. 

Information made available to Al-Joumhouria said March 14 has embarked on a detailed plan to cope with the situation in the region, especially in Syria. The coalition also discussed ways to deal with a parliamentary session for a vote of confidence and agreed to monitor government practices in terms of administrative appointments, the government’s position vis-à-vis the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the protocol between Lebanon and the STL as well as the indictment into the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri.

Al-Joumhouria also learned that Hariri has decided to return to Beirut to lead the opposition and brandish the slogan of “political confrontation.”

Ad-Diyar: Mikati: Lebanon cannot annul STL … Policy statement a revised version of Hariri government’s statement

As local officials were busy with President Bashar Assad’s speech and the international criticism it has drawn, Prime Minister Najib Mikati embarked on the drawing up of the outlines for the policy statement which will be a revised version of the policy statement of former PM Saad Hariri’s government in terms of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the resistance.

Ad-Diyar has learned that a ministerial committee set up to draft the policy statement is likely to finalize its work during today’s meeting to pave the way for approval at a Cabinet meeting to be held in the middle of this week.

Al-Mustaqbal: Baabda seeks to resume dialogue following vote of confidence

Visitors to Baabda Palace quoted President Michel Sleiman as saying that he is determined to resume national dialogue after the new government gets a vote of confidence, to discuss – in addition to a defense strategy – ways to avoid the negative repercussions that may face Lebanon following the STL indictment given that the current government represents two teams – [Hezbollah-led] March 8 and the centrist bloc amid the absence of March 14.