The new "in" word is likely to be "cleansing." The Israelis, see, flew into Syria and destroyed a structure (impossible to know for sure what it was, seen only in a satellite photo) but which, according to the New York Times report "appears to have been a partly built nuclear reactor" Mind you, it could have been your local RV storage facility.
Whatever it was (and no one seems sure), the New York Times has chosen one helluva headline for the story and accompanying graphics:
"Satellite Photos Show Cleansing of Syria Site."
Cleansing! In retrospect, that's what it's all about. The US has been cleansing Iraq and now Dick Cheney proposes to cleanse Iran. Years ago we cleansed Vietnam all right already, did we not! Some helpful fires in California have been cleansing whole neighborhoods -- whole towns ! Katrina cleansed New Orleans.
Preemptively destroyed sounds so much less attractive.