Pham Xuan An, 'analyst' for both sides in the Vietnam War

Nick Turner was long gone from Saigon by the time I arrived there as Reuters bureau chief in late 1965. His reputation lived on, though, as one of the best informed political analysts of his time.

Nick’s most famous recruit, Pham Xuan An, was well known among local journalists. He too had already left Reuters Saigon. As Ernie Mendoza has recalled, he had jumped ship to Time magazine for more money and, no doubt, closer access to US information sources. Despite the move, An remained friendly with Reuters and often dropped by our office for a chat, to swap some gossip. He was particularly well informed on the complex power struggle then under way within South Vietnam, as well as the latest news of Viet Cong advances. A chat with An was always an invaluable briefing. Thank you, Nick.

By the time I saw An again, long after the end of the American war, the secret of his expert knowledge had emerged: An had been a professional agent for North Vietnam throughout the war, with the underground rank of colonel. In the mid 1990s, when I was visiting Saigon for the Reuters Foundation, I invited An out to lunch and asked him point blank about his work as a spy. He objected to the term. “Not a spy,” he said. “I prefer to say I was an analyst.”

For both sides in the war. ■