Swiss guards, loyal soldiers of the pope, take the oath

Forty new Swiss Guards were sworn in at the Vatican on Saturday, the latest halberd-clutching soldiers of the pope to serve a tradition stretching back 500 years.A tourist magnet for centuries at the Vatican, the spectacularly dressed Swiss Guards swear to sacrifice themselves if necessary for the pope.The halberds -- a traditional steel axe-like weapon -- are purely for show in this age of global terrorism where the Vatican is a huge target and the pope is under round-the-clock protection.