Which of the Following Statements Best Describes the Importance of the Armed

Which of the following statements best describes the importance of the armed forces in the 2011 Arab Spring?

A) In most of the pro-democracy uprisings in the Arab world, the soldiers defected to side with the rebels
B) In most of the Arab world, a large portion of the soldiers in the standing army disobeyed their officers' commands to fire on the protesters
C) The military would have been unable to protect the old regime were it not for the large number of mercenary soldiers under their command who depended on the military for their livelihood
D) In almost all cases, the armed forces stayed neutral during these uprisings
E) The armed forces' willingness or reluctance to defend the old regime largely determined the likelihood that the regime would be toppled by the protesters