Sorry folks, but why is this important? Seriously? I argue it is not. The important thing is the political objective of the operations, and how to achieve them. Ways and means, not who and where.

Irregular or regular is mostly utterly irrelevant, if you have thought the problem through. Focussing on the question just forgives pre-conceived ideas and some stupidity. Your own forces conduct is far more important than the conduct of the enemy.

It may help to codify certain distinctions between the two, as concerns conduct at the tactical level, but ultimately that is where it stops.

I now think, that for people at the policy level to be debating this stuff is verging on the embarrassing. It strongly implies that folks don't understand the problem.