David Miliband becomes Britain's foreign secretary

LONDON (Reuters) - David Miliband became British foreign secretary on Thursday, the youngest man to take on the job in thirty years, as new Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed his team.

"I am tremendously honored," Miliband said, adding that modern diplomacy in his view should be "patient as well as purposeful."

Former Environment Secretary, Miliband, 41, was once Tony Blair's top policy adviser and had been touted as a candidate to challenge Brown in the leadership contest.

Miliband was reportedly skeptical about the decision to go to war in Iraq and, according to media reports, voiced his dismay in cabinet at Tony Blair's reluctance to call for an immediate ceasefire in last year's Lebanon war.