U.S., NATO start formal troop withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years in country

The final phase of ending America’s “forever war” in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last U.S. and NATO troops by the end of summer.

U.S. President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces — about 2,500 to 3,500 U.S. troops and about 7,000 NATO soldiers.

Even before Saturday, the herculean task of packing up had begun.

The U.S. military has been taking inventory, deciding