NEW : Obama says Iraq needs to take responsibility for its sovereignty . The president addressed about 1,500 service members , civilians and contractors who gathered in the rotunda of the Al Faw Palace , one of dozens of palaces that were used by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein . NEW : Obama thanks troops for giving Iraq the chance to `` stand on its own '' Obama arrived in Europe last week for a series of summits . TL;DR President Barack Obama's trip to Europe, which includes stops at NATO headquarters and an address before European Parliament, is aimed at reassuring allies that he will not abandon them if they are attacked by terrorists.
NEW : Obama says Iraq needs to take responsibility for its sovereignty . NEW : Obama thanks troops for giving Iraq the chance to `` stand on its own '' Obama arrived in Europe last week for a series of summits . TL;DR President Barack Obama's trip to Europe, which includes stops at NATO headquarters and an address before European Parliament, is aimed at reassuring allies that he will not abandon them if they are attacked by terrorists.