DEARBORN, United States: Prominent Iraqi leader and head of SCIRI the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq Sayyed Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim swept into the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn this weekend, where he spoke with Iraqi-Americans and other Arab-Americans about the future of Iraq.

He was greeted with warm embraces, kisses on the cheeks and hearty handshakes from the thrilled crowd. Al-Hakim had a tough time making his way to the podium because so many well-wishers wanted to hug him and thank him for visiting the center.

Al-Hakim delivered his speech at the center in Arabic.

Layla Alkhafajai, a member of Iraq's Parliament who is traveling with al-Hakim's delegation in the United States, said Iraqis are desperate for news from back home.

She said she was imprisoned by Saddam for a decade and then lived in exile in Canada for about 15 years. She said she knows first hand what it means to be desperate for news from home.

"Most of the Iraqi community here has family back in Baghdad. They have to know what is going on. It is very important for them. They are willing to come back and help in rebuilding Iraq," she said.

She said Saddam loyalists, al-Qaida terrorists and Baathists are trying to cast the violence in Iraq as a civil war and "they want to take Iraq back to ground zero."

"They are trying hard to show the world the battle is not with terrorists, but with Sunni and Shiite. That is not true," she said.

Dave Alwatan, 34, of Dearborn, who is an American of Iraqi descent, said he was pleased that a religious leader such as Al-Hakim would visit the center.

He said Al-Hakim has earned trust by "being against Saddam's regime for over 25 years and his family paid the price for that."