IIRC the people who did the inviting were rebel war lords trying to overthrow the recognised (but awful) Govt at the time
Incorrect, the truth being the other way round.
TIME.com Primer: The Taliban and Afghanistan - TIME
Q:
Is the Taliban the recognized government of Afghanistan? Do they have domestic opposition?
A;
Only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's government, and international recognition as a legitimate government remains the movement's most important foreign policy objective. The country's seat at the United Nations is still held by representatives of the government overthrown by the Taliban in 1996, to which the opposition Northern Alliance remains loyal.