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Why hasn't the White House strongly condemned Mexico's imprisonment of the US Marine?
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As you just heard it has been four months since John -- arrest at times has been shackled to his bed deprived of food and the target of death threats.
His family says the US State Department has stonewalled them refusing to bring in.
Help -- to step in and help to bring John home ambassador John Bolton is joining us now from Washington DC it's John.
You obviously have an experience as an ambassador.
What would you have done differently up to now.
Well I think dead there's very little evidence that the State Department behind the scenes or in public has.
-- -- in this case the serious attention it deserves.
Obviously with respect to John hammered self that this is just -- -- he tried to follow the procedures.
That are required to bring a firearm into Mexico it was obviously.
Not intended for use.
But for display purposes and and we can see what's happened to and so the particular facts of this case are outrageous in and of themselves.
But there's a larger issue here and I think it has to do with the -- and Mexican government's.
Blaming the United States for part of its.
Drug cartel probably you know their view is it's all of these American firearms.
Flooding Mexico illegally and I fear that the Obama administration has been sympathetic.
To that charge for the last four years I think that was one of the motivations of the fast and furious operation.
So that as so that I'm worried that the administration has given.
John hammers -- short shrift because of this larger issue.
Do you think that I would imagine that the family was probably being counseled by the State Department to the extent they have conversations with them being counseled to.
Be quiet let us work this out but that that there came a point when they realize -- and they got this photo sent anonymously to them of John hammer being -- -- chain to the bed.
That the family decided the only way that we're gonna actually get something done here is to go public and now you've got to judge is gonna look at -- so maybe that worked.
Yeah I I can certainly understand saying to try and let's try and do it the quiet way that's often the most successful.
But but after this length of time the the only conclusion I think you can draws that the Mexican government is using this.
Particular case to make a larger point and that's when you have to apply political pressure -- much higher level.
You know you Mexico can do a lot of things here to make it easy for them to justify releasing.
John hammer they can say it's Christmas spirit of generosity if they can say it's a farewell present -- Hillary Clinton and say whatever they want.
The important thing is to get him out and then -- to deal with the Mexican government and make it absolutely clear.
This conduct by them is unacceptable to Americans and our State Department can do the right thing by helping them figure out the right way to get out.
Exactly fight you find any pretext they want to use get this individual released and then come back on the larger point all right thank you ambassador.
Thank you.
