The United States began training insurgents in, and directing propaganda broadcasts into Afghanistan from Pakistan in 1978.[54] Then, in early 1979, U.S. foreign service officers began meeting insurgent leaders to determine their needs.[55]
and...
US "Paramilitary Officers" from the CIA's Special Activities Division were instrumental in training, equipping and sometimes leading Mujihadeen forces against the Soviet Army.
Without CIA's backing it's almost certain the PDPA would have remained in power and Afghanistan wouldn't be the mess it is today, but saying the Taliban was around in the 80s is also misleading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_war_in_Afghanistan_(1992–...
Was this right before Regan sent lasers to space and won the cold war?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_war_in_Afghanistan