War is never a joke. Its very disturbing and its painful.
This war won't end soon, its based on extremism of religion as fueling point of recruitment. This extremism runs into Pakistani society also as well as across the borders (Afg and Iran). You can kill terrorists, bomb them, cut supply lines and financing, end all the ways and means of support, but the ideology of extremism has to be dealt with and finished once in for all. The Pakistani soldier thinks he is the true warrior of God while the terrorist thinks the same.
USA packed up and left, they couldn't solve it too. All the questions you asked in your post are about military and political action, but the question remains, how do you kill an ideology that has run into generations ? It started in 80's and by end of 80's it had nurtured and was allowed to seep into Pakistani society too. In 90's it's roots started inside Pakistan through madrassah's. By early 2000's, condemnation for such factions started and the banning process initiated. Now we are 22 years ahead, another generations under the same psyche has been born.
Have you seen how TLP blocked major cities in Pakistan during their protests ? They brought Pakistan to a standstill internally with in hours. They were Pakistanis, they were people born, bred, schooled, brought up inside Pakistan. Curb, diminish, eliminate the extremism in religion and the war might end. USA had F-16, F-18s, F-15Es, B-1, predators and what not - if thats the solution you are after then the war will continue.
The ongoing ops are IBOs. Some infantry units are moving back to Waziristan area. But military Ops are only effective if there is a political as well as a social solution present which can be implemented immediately. Even if military succeeds like before, and you get the best politician who throws a trump card politically against Afghanistan, there is still no "social reform" as a solution for winding down extremism in religion which runs deep in Pakistan, not just KPK.