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

An-Nahar

Assad warns of ‘earthquake across region’ as Arabs urge him to avoid major storm

Syria to respond to Arab call Monday

Syrian President Bashar Assad warned Sunday that any Western intervention in Syria is likely to “cause an earthquake that would destroy the whole region and turn it into an Afghanistan,” in the strongest statement so far regarding Western involvement in his country.

Meanwhile, an Arab League ministerial committee tasked with finding a solution to the violence in Syria urged the Syrian leadership to take concrete steps to avoid a "major storm" in the region.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani described as “serious and honest” the committee meeting in Doha and said Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Moallem promised to respond to the Arab proposal Monday.

As-Safir

Assad warns ‘earthquake would destroy region’ if West intervened

Arab committee hints at calling U.N. to help resolve Syria crisis

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani said at the end of Arab ministerial committee on the Syria crisis that the committee has made a proposal to stop the violence in Syria.

Damascus, however, said it would give its response to the Arab proposal on Monday.

Sheikh Hamad warned that the region was at risk if Syria continued “cunning and maneuvering” and failed to take “speedy and concrete steps” to stop a “major storm” in the region.

He stressed the need to resolve the crisis within an Arab framework, but quickly.

“We hope there won’t be foreign intervention," he added.

Sources told As-Safir that Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi canceled a visit to Beirut planned for Monday to follow up on the Syria crisis.

Ad-Diyar

Sleiman to Ad-Diyar: Funding STL is a must, but this does not mean tribunal won’t be criticized for mistakes

Berri for resumption of dialogue without conditions, ready to approach Siniora about participation

President Michel Sleiman, in an interview with Ad-Diyar, spoke about national dialogue and its importance for Lebanon and the Lebanese people in terms of providing security, stability and coexistence.

Sleiman also revealed for the first time an abortive initiative he had launched during previous roundtable talks on a defense strategy for Lebanon.

The initiative was “regretfully” not welcomed by the rival sides, Sleiman said.

As for financing of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Sleiman stressed that Lebanon is renowned for its commitment to U.N. resolutions, adding that there is no alternative to this commitment when it comes to protecting Lebanon and its stability.

“Therefore, it is essential to fund the court. But funding does not mean the tribunal won’t be criticized for mistakes,” Sleiman said, pointing out that the STL had committed fault twice – when it leaked data in the case of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and when it leaked the indictments.

As to administrative reforms, Sleiman said there are obstacles to it because jobs are not filled by the right people.

Sleiman denied that he disapproved the promotion of Col. Wissam Hasan, head of the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch, for malicious reasons.

He also denied there was a dispute with Gen. Michel Aoun on the issue of Christian appointments.

Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri told Ad-Diyar that he would visit Sleiman before Eid al-Adha to discuss the possibility of resuming national dialogue under the president’s auspices.

“I am confident that Hezbollah, Gen. Aoun, Prime Minister [Najib] Mikati and MP [Walid] Jumblatt are willing to participate in dialogue. But the [problem is with] the Future Movement,” he said.

Berri, however, announced readiness to approach former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who heads the Future parliamentary bloc, about the matter “in order to resume dialogue among the Lebanese.”

Al-Joumhouria

Mikati did not receive message from Russia to get him to resign as Jumblatt makes remarkable stance

Commenting on some media reports that said Mikati had received a message from Russia in an attempt to get him to step in or resign in the event the government failed to finance the STL, sources close to Mikati told Al-Joumhouria that Mikati did not receive such a message.

The source pointed to ongoing communication between Mikati and the Russian ambassador and denied that the two had discussed the premier’s resignation.

Meanwhile, MP Walid Jumblatt made a significant statement after his reelection as PSP leader in which he reiterated that STL funding is a fundamental principle and essential for Lebanon’s stability, while fully understanding Hezbollah’s reservations on the possibility of politicizing the tribunal.

He stressed the importance of keeping Hezbollah’s “defensive” weapons and emphasized that Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shuba Hills are Lebanese. He also stressed the need to recover the Lebanese part of the village of Ghajar “but this does not prevent land and sea border demarcation; and the importance of returning to the negotiating table to discuss a defense strategy because the state is the only guarantor for both citizens and the resistance."