French President Warns That Failure To Stop The Conflicts In The Middle East Will Lead To 'Total War'

French President Francois Hollande (R) addresses the European Parliament as German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) listens during a debate on the current situation in the European Union and the way forward on migration and economic policies, in Strasbourg, France, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/VINCENT KESSLER

Reuters: Hollande warns of total war if MidEast conflict not solved

Europe must live up to the challenge of an upheaval that has forced hundreds of thousands of refugees to flee Syria, where everyone including Iran, Russia and the West must seek a political solution, French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday.

Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Hollande said the risk of failure was "total war" and that Europe, if slow to grasp the scale of the refugee exodus, had now made a start.

As for Syria, Hollande reiterated the Paris line that any solution for Syria had to be based on an alternative to President Bashar al-Assad.

WNU Editor: A part of me is saying that this is scaremongering .... but French President Francois Hollande is right to issue the warning that the Sunni - Shiite conflict may spread beyond the Middle East .... and from there to a greater conflict. Unfortunately .... the Sunnis and Shiites are not listening to him .... and no one in Europe is willing to commit the resources necessary to stop this conflict .... and even if the commitment is there .... the problem has become too big and too complex to solve .... even if Syria President Assad was no longer in power.