How did Galina meet Fred Cuny?
S: She was introduced to him indirectly by Pat Reed, with whom she had worked as an interpreter when Pat was in Moscow. Pat recommended Galina to Fred as an interpreter. When she was working with Patricia, she went to two sites of ethnic conflict: southern Ossetia and Nagorny Karabakh. Galina by that time was experienced, not so much at interpreting as in solving organizational problems – where to stay, whom to approach with a request or for visitors’ permits, that kind of thing. She was good at that. Interpreters can always be found, but a person who has the hands-on experience and knows what needs to be done and how to do it, that’s what attracted Fred’s attention. That’s why he insisted on her. He phoned me when he got here because my phone was the link between them. And I gave her his message, that he wanted her to come and do some work for him. But they actually met only on the day his plane took off for Nazran. FRONTLINE: What did she tell you about Fred Cuny when you talked to h
