For Kuwait's embattled rulers, clashes earlier this week with anti-government protesters were more than just a sign tensions may be mounting. The crowds themselves showed the widening nature of the Gulf nation's political crisis: Stirrings of a rare alliance of convenience between liberals and Islamists against Kuwait's Western-backed leadership.

While it's not the first time Middle East protests have brought together political foes — Cairo's Tahrir Square last year and Iran's postelection unrest in 2009 had a full spectrum of voices — Kuwait's tiny size means that the coalescence of such varied groups could make for an opposition that punches far above its own weight.

Read the complete story(Some news sites require registration)