Oil-rich Kuwait has been a stable country ruled by an American-supported emir since Operation Desert Storm in 1991. But even with American backing, or perhaps in part because of it, the emir seems to be faltering. Islamists stand poised to win a majority of seats in the upcoming parliamentary election, and together with the judiciary, could destabilize the country over the coming years. It now appears as though Kuwait is more susceptible to the extremism sweeping the Islamic world than previously thought.