I agree that Pakistan poses more problems for the West than does India. Musharraf himself faces greater challenges than any Indian leader currently faces and only time will tell whether he is skilled and lucky enough to survive and chart a new course for his country.
I am under no illusions of how difficult that will be. There is a sizable portion of his population who do not wish us well and the animosity toward India will continue to be a major source of regional instability.
However, I do admire Musharraf for tackling those challenges and I certainly hope that he is successful.
I reject your contention that Pakistan will never be a good ally of America because it is Islamic. Most people here would agree that Turkey is better NATO ally to us than Greece or France, for example.
Pakistan has made many efforts over the years to become a full democracy, something never tried in most Islamic countries. It even elected a woman as President at one point. Obviously, that course was derailed by the military coup two years ago that put Musharraf in charge. But he says he is committed to holding some elections next year, and that he doesn't intend to stay in power indefinitely.
The massive street protests in Pakistan that we expected when the bombing began never materialized. Radical Islamic leaders have been arrested. Known terrorists have been arrested, and some have been turned over to us. He's done a good job of keeping the lid on things in Pakistan and under very tough circumstances.
All of that is now jeopardized by India's diplomatic and military moves. That is why my eyes are focused on India.