The US Congressional Budget Office has announced that the war in Iraq could end up costing US taxpayers more than USD 1trillion.

The forecast includes the cost of keeping some US forces in Iraq for several years and of providing long-term care and financial support for wounded soldiers and benefits for the families of those killed, the Boston Globe reported.

“We are now spending on these activities more than 10 percent of all the government's annually appropriated funds,” Robert A. Sunshine, the assistant director for budget analysis, said.

The government has already allocated USD 500b for combat operations and reconstruction.

In 2003, the Bush administration fired a White House budget analysis in the start up to war for giving an estimate of USD 200b for the conflict--saying the figure was far too high. The White House also assumed a quick military operation and restoration of Iraq's oil industry to pay for rebuilding.