It is not too late for firebrand Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to lay down his arms and be welcomed into the political fold, Iraqi’s new president said on Tuesday. Interim President Ghazi al-Yawar, recently returned from the Group of Eight summit in the United States, said he welcomed Sadr’s recent decision to create a political party that could take part in Iraq’s first democratic elections in the new year. “I kept on saying consistently that if I were in his shoes I would try to go to the political arena instead of raising arms,” Yawar told reporters outside the Iraqi government building. “He has supporters, he has constituents, he should go through the political process and I commend this smart move on his side.” Full Story