Taliban, U.S. agree to seven calmer days

The trial period for a U.S.-Taliban truce is set to begin Friday night. The seven-day “reduction of violence” precedes the signing of a peace agreement, paving the way for the eventual withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.

What are the terms of the deal? U.S. leaders expect the Taliban to promise it will not attack the United States or its allies, and the Taliban wants American and other foreign forces out of Afghanistan in the next 18 months. If both sides sign the agreement as expected on Feb. 29, the Taliban, the Afghan government, and other political groups in the country would start working on their own peace deal.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report in Globe Trot on Afghanistan’s recent presidential elections.