Final answer:
The backing of opposite sides in the Laotian civil war by the CIA and US State Department is an example of Cold War-era proxy wars.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scenario where the CIA and US State Department backed opposite sides in the Laotian civil war is an example of Cold War-era proxy wars. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for global supremacy and influence through indirect conflicts in various regions, known as proxy wars.
In these wars, the opposing sides were supported and funded by the superpowers, who had a vested interest in the outcome.