 Complete the following phrase:  As World War II ended, the French found themselves embroiled in the First Indochina War. On 23December 1950, the United States signed the Pentalateral Treaty with France, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam binding them to ficially support the French effort. From that point onwards, the U.S. would fund an ever greater proportion of the French war effort; by 1952, it was funding about a third of the French budget for the war. Beginning as early as 6May 1953, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency CIA used its proprietary airline, Civil Air Transport, for combat supply drops in support of the French Army in Laos. Following the North Vietnamese 1953 invasion of Laos and the French defeat at 