US pressured Brits to arrest airline terrorists early

I've been waiting for this, or something similar. MSNBC reports that the airline terrorists were not ready to activate their plan, but the White House wanted to arrest them immediately.

"A senior British official knowledgeable about the case said British police were planning to continue to run surveillance for at least another week to try to obtain more evidence, while American officials pressured them to arrest the suspects sooner. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.

In contrast to previous reports, the official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports."[Snip]

Monitoring of Rauf [suspected ringleader Rashid Rauf in Pakistan], in particular, apparently played a critical role, revealing that the plotters had tested the explosive liquid mixture they planned to use at a location outside Britain. NBC News has previously reported that the explosive mixture was tested in Pakistan. The source said the suspects in Britain had obtained at least some of the materials for the explosive but had not yet actually prepared or mixed it.

Trust the White House to push for the most politically advantageous timing (in America) of arrests rather than the timing that advances the investigation better.