WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (AFP) - The suicide bomber who killed at least 22 people in a lunchtime attack on a US base in Iraq was likely wearing an Iraqi Army uniform, US Brigadier General Carter Ham, commander of the Mosul base where the attack occurred, told CNN.
"What we think is likely, but certainly not certain, is that an individual in an Iraqi military uniform, possibly with a vest-worn explosive device, was inside the facility and detonated the (device), causing this tragedy," Ham said.
Ham said that force protection was his "highest priority" and that, without it, "we can`t accomplish our mission."
"But clearly in this instance, I failed to identify some shortcoming that allowed this to occur," the senior officer said.
"That`s why we`re doing this investigation, to find out where was that seam that these murderers were able to exploit and so that we can preclude such events in the future and again continue our actions to protect our forces to the best extent that is possible."
Ham said it was difficult, however, to protect troops against the diverse tactics of an insurgency.
"Iraq is such a varied country, and the nature of the insurgency here is so different from area to area that generally, blanket policies are not particularly effective.
"So we really try to work very, very hard to understand the most dangerous threats that face our soldiers and civilians that are here, and then take measures to disrupt that enemy activity and to protect our soldiers," he said.
On Tuesday, an explosion rocked a large canvas dining tent in Mosul, in northern Iraq, killing at least 22 people, mostly Americans but also Iraqi soliders and employees. Another 72 people were injured in the blast.
Wednesday the Pentagon said the attack appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber.
Mosul has been under a nightime curfew since November 11 when insurgents rose up in revolt against the US-led coalition, giving credence to warnings the city had become a base for the country`s most-wanted militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The third-largest city in Iraq was once considered a success story of the US presence in the country, but has been transformed into a key battleground between insurgents and US forces.
12/23/2004 19:23 GMT - AFP