In exchange for the  partial military withdrawal, the Taliban pledged to prevent militant groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State to  use Afghanistan  as a base for attacks on the US and its allies. Khalilzad said the aim of the deal was to end the war and see a reduction in violence in the short-term, even without a formal ceasefire agreement. It would be up to negotiations among the Afghans themselves to agree on a settlement, he said, adding that “intra-Afghan” talks, which might be held in Norway, would aim to reach a broader political settlement and end the fighting between the Taliban and the Western-backed government in Kabul. The Taliban have as yet rejected direct talks with Kabul’s government.