The article said the guys were let go as they weren't on any 'no-fly' list or terrorist watch list. The sure as h-ll had better be on ALL the lists now! If not, it's only a matter of time before they pull something else off. This was a probe mission, no doubt about it. It might even have been a aborted strike by the sounds of it. The alphabet agencies better have these guys on the radar screen. If not, I would consider it dereliction.
These guys are testing the waters to see what they can get away with. They know the rules, and want to push to see how far they can go.