After many rumors and false starts, and after years of requests from U.S. officials, Pakistan has finally launched a major military offensive in North Waziristan, ground zero for militancy in that country.

But while the airstrikes and ground efforts in North Waziristan have been needed, it’s not clear whether this effort can inflict a decisive blow against militancy in Pakistan. Here are four questions that underscore how conditions in Pakistan may be stacked against success: