Via Reason Hit and Run:

On Fox News Aug. 7, John Loftus, a former federal prosecutor, gave out the La Habra, California, home address of Iyad Hilal, who he said was the leader of a terrorist group with ties to the London bombings. He later repeated the La-Habra-is-harboring-a-terrorist line on popular local talk radio KFI.

Outraged Southern Californians drove by the house, taking surveillance pictures, yelling profanities, and spray-painting the word “Terrist.” But the vigilant citizens didn’t know one relevant detail — Iyad hasn’t lived at that address for at least three years.

“I’m scared to go to work and leave my kids home. I call them every 30 minutes to make sure they’re OK,” [house resident] Randy Vorick said.

“I keep telling myself this can’t be happening to me. This can’t be happening to my family. But it is. I want our lives to be normal again.”

If our justice system worked, The Vorick children’s college will now be paid for by Mr. Loftus’s assets, while Mr. Loftus spends time in prison. Alas, I don’t suspect that will happen. Either way, that is entirely inappropriate behavior for a federal prosecutor - and Fox News.

Of course the reactions of the people in SoCal who are harassing the Vorick’s is just as contemptible. I’m not willing to give Bin Laden the credit for knowing this would be the outcome of 9/11, but the damage from his attack extends well beyond lower Manhattan and Arlington - and the real tragedy it that is is mostly self inflicted.