Final phase of pull-out by the US, in Afghanistan formally began today, after 20 years. President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces. Even before Saturday, the herculean task of packing up had begun.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The military has been taking inventory and the military has been flying out equipment on massive C-17 cargo planes. Defence department officials and diplomats told The Associated Press the withdrawal has involved closing smaller bases over the last year. They said that since Biden announced the end-of-summer withdrawal date in mid-April, only roughly 60 military personnel had left the country.</span><br />