During the Iran negotiations why didn't Kerry...?

John Kerry brought up the matter of these hostages even on the final day of negotiations but linking the two issues would have been counter productive. My bet is that the hostages will be released if and when this deal goes fully into effect.

They are prisoners or detainees just like those people in Cuba held for 12 years without charge. Those 4 people are American citizens. The Europeans dont care about them, so why would that be part of the deal. That is a separate issue from the purpose of the agreement.

Actually, he tried but the Iranian did not agree. Mostly likely, they said, "Let us give a show trial and we will release them.

"U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stepped to the sidelines for a private conversation at a security conference in Germany on Sunday, according to a senior State Department official…

“Secretary Kerry pressed for the Iranians to work cooperatively with us in our efforts to help United States citizens Robert Levinson, Amir Hekmati, and Saeed Abedini to return to their families,” [a U.S.] official said…"

If we had pressed too hard on this , the Iranian would be aksed for a real terrorist in exchange for Americans who will go through a kangaroo court and released later.

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/07/14/trump-why-di...

Obviously about as much as you care about the dead children at Sandy Hook.

it is better that we had the deal w/o the hostages than to have the deal collapse bc we had to have the release of the hostages as a part of it