News on the South African Hostages

A phone call has revealed that the four South African men being held hostage in Iraq since 2006 are alive.

Joy for Iraqi hostage family
By Hanti Otto, Pretoria News, May 07 2010

Andre's wife, Lourika, said: "I nearly jumped out of my skin from joy when I heard about the call. My husband is really alive."

Andre [Durant], Hardus Greeff, Callie Scheepers and Johann Enslin were working as security guards for Safenet Security Services in Iraq when they were stopped by men in police uniforms on December 10, 2006.

Some information on the South African men missing in Iraq since 2006 can be found here at this blog:
Missing in Baghdad written by Marie Enslin, wife of one of the missing men.

Miles Per Gallon

Thinking a lot about fuel these days.

How much gas was in Kirk von Ackermann's Nissan Patrol when it was found?

Mileage for a Nissan Patrol (diesel fuel) averaged about 21 - 23 mpg back in 2003. A full tank held 125 liters of fuel (about 33 gallons). Under good conditions, it's reasonable to expect a full tank of gas should last about 759 miles. And logic says anyone setting out on a journey from Tikrit to Kirkuk would want to start with a full tank.

So, how much was left in the tank when the vehicle was found and what does that say about where the Nissan Patrol last fueled up?

References

Road test: Nissan Patrol ST 3.0
By Feann Torr, Web Wombat