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From the New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro.

This is Daily.

Today, 18 years ago, the US declared war on the Taliban, promising to drive it from power

in Afghanistan.

Mujib Mashaal, on why we are now offering peace to the same group.

It's Monday, February 4.

I come to you this evening to discuss the extremely important and rapidly changing circumstances

in southwest Asia.

50,000 heavily armed Soviet troops across the border and are now dispersed throughout

Afghanistan.

Mujib, remind us how the Taliban came to rule in Afghanistan.

So it was in the space where this invasion is an extremely serious threat to peace.

The Soviet Union was trying to install a government and control Afghanistan.

It is a deliberate effort of a powerful atheistic government to subjugate an independent Islamic

people.

...