Hidden costs 'raise US war price'

US Democrats say the wars are costing the US too much

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The US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing nearly double the amount previously thought, according to a report set to be released by Congress.

Democrats say the wars have cost $1.5 trillion - almost twice the requested $804bn (£402bn) - because of "hidden costs", the Washington Post reports.

That figure would amount to $20,000 for an average US family of four, it adds.

And some of the figures cited in the report were labelled speculative by funding experts, the Post says.

Among the indicators contributing to the higher cost of the conflicts are higher oil costs and payments to war veterans.

'Lost earnings'

The report is expected to be presented to Congress later on Tuesday.

The Democratic authors included the costs of treating wounded veterans and mounting interest payments on money borrowed to finance the wars.

The report calculates that the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the average US family of four more than $20,000.

It adds that the amount could rise to $46,300 over the next decade, the Washington Post says.

The committee's Democrats estimate that treating veterans could add more than $30bn to war costs, including disability payments and lost earnings for veterans affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.

Republicans have not yet commented officially on the report.