WASHINGTON – Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's resignation could allow the United States to build stronger relations with a fledgling democratic government and embrace what many American lawmakers and Pakistani opposition forces have long urged by moving away from a narrow focus on a single, strong military leader.

Musharraf's announcement of his departure Monday to avoid impeachment at the hands of his political enemies marks the latest step in a stark turnaround in U.S.-Pakistani ties. It could also be the beginning of the rehabilitation of Washington's image in Pakistan. Many there were angry at U.S. support for the former army leader who seized power in a 1999 coup and cracked down late last year on the political opposition, judiciary and media.

Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, said in an interview that he had no doubt that “the United States-Pakistan relationship is going to become stronger as a result of Musharraf leaving the scene.”

“Every time he took away people's civil liberties, every time somebody went to prison, every time somebody went missing and joined the ranks of the disappeared – every action of Musharraf angered people against the United States. That factor is now gone,” he said.

The Bush administration was a loyal Musharraf supporter after he sided with the United States in the drive to hunt down extremists after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Washington pumped billions of dollars in aid into Pakistan and, just last year, described Musharraf as “indispensable” to American efforts to battle extremists in the nuclear-armed country.

Musharraf proved a strong ally in that fight, although many Pakistanis blamed rising violence on Musharraf's use of the army against extremists. Musharraf sparked angry demonstrations in November when he declared a state of emergency and purged the Supreme Court before it could rule on the disputed legality of his presidential re-election.

The Bush administration's continued support of Musharraf caused some to question whether the United States valued Musharraf's fight against militants over the struggles of Pakistani democracy.

After the February election of a new civilian government and the subsequent weakening of Musharraf's power, the Bush administration began distancing itself, repeatedly deflecting questions about Musharraf's future as an internal Pakistani matter.

Rick Barton, a conflict analyst for the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said that, since both Musharraf and the military were “at different levels of being discredited, the United States was holding onto a very narrow base, which was not good for Pakistan and not good for the United States.”

“It's a big country, it's a complex place; there are 165 million people. We can't just do it all through authoritarian rulers or through the military. We have to push the democratic opening that's taking place there,” Barton said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday conveyed some of the Bush administration's former feelings for Musharraf by offering “deep gratitude” for his original decision to join the U.S.-led fight against extremists. She called Musharraf “one of the world's most committed partners in the war against terrorism.”

But she was also careful to signal strong support for the civilian government that pushed Musharraf aside.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood, asked Monday about Musharraf's fall, said, “The war against extremism is bigger than any one person.”

EDITOR'S NOTE – Foster Klug covers international affairs from Washington for The Associated Press.