Spain's 1st woman defense minister takes oath as new Cabinet takes office

Spain's first woman defense minister was among 17 Cabinet members sworn into office Monday.

Carme Chacon, 37 _ who is seven months pregnant _ is one of nine women in Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's new government.

Chacon, from the Catalan town of Esplugues de Llobregat, served as a city councilor in 1999 and as deputy parliamentary speaker in 2004. She was promoted to housing minister in Zapatero's first government and was accredited with the Socialist party's success in the powerful northeastern region of Catalonia in the March 9 elections.

Zapatero's Socialists won 169 seats in Spain's 350-seat lower house in last month's …