Michael S. Smith II is a counter-terrorism advisor to members of the United States Congress, gray area phenomena subject-matter expert, and a founder of Kronos Advisory, LLC, a U.S.-based firm established in 2011 by Medal of Honor recipient MajGen James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret), Council on Foreign Relations member and Joint Chiefs of Staff Economic Roundtable chair Mallory Factor, and Smith that, according to Dun & Bradstreet, conducts business in the areas of national security and international affairs.[1][2][3][4]
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According to reports produced by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, The Jerusalem Post, and Al Arabiya, at the request of a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in 2011 Smith produced a report on Iran’s ties to Al-Qaeda that was distributed to members of the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus.[5][6][7][8] Titled “The al-Qa’ida-Qods Force Nexus: Scratching the Surface of a Known Unknown,” a redacted version of Smith’s report is available online via the blog site owned by American military geostrategist and The Pentagon's New Map author Thomas P.M. Barnett.[9] The report’s Issue Summary section explains: “This report focuses on the history of Iran’s relationship with al-Qa’ida, and briefly addresses potential implications of these ties. Additionally, its author provides a list of recommended action items for Members of the United States Congress, as well as a list of questions that may help Members develop a better understanding of this issue through interactions with defense and intelligence officials.”
Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus staffer Andy Polk said in an email to AFP that: “With the death of Bin Laden, and with Iran’s Al-Quds Force being listed as part of the new sanctions against Syria, this is an interesting and timely report.”[10]
On September 23, 2011, while issuing remarks on the House Floor about both the president of Iran’s September 2011 visit to New York to address the United Nations and Iran’s support of Islamist terrorism U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan (R, SC) referenced "The al-Qa’ida-Qods Force Nexus" report.[11] The text of both Congressman Duncan’s remarks and the summary section of Smith’s report are included in a section of the Congressional Record titled “The Al Qaeda-Qods Force Nexus.”[12][13]
In June 2011, Smith coauthored a column with Thomas P.M. Barnett for World Politics Review. Claiming the fall of the Assad regime would greatly reduce Iran's influence in the Middle East — hindering Iran's ability to mobilize Hezbollah militants to commit acts of terrorism against Iran's enemies by disrupting arms supply routes that cross Syrian territory — Smith and Barnett encouraged U.S. government officials to provide more support to efforts focused on delivering regime change in Syria.[14]
Along with Kronos Advisory, LLC founders Gen Livingston and Mallory Factor, Smith is also a founder of The Charleston Meeting, an invitation-only center-right political forum hosted in Charleston, South Carolina that borrows the model Factor developed for his New York-based Monday Meeting forum.[15][16][17]
According to information compiled by SourceWatch, Smith is a contributor to The Post and Courier and The State newspapers, and previously worked as a copy editor and features writer for the Charleston Mercury, a Charleston, South Carolina-based newspaper owned by the Evening Post Publishing Company.[18][19]
In 2010, Smith served as a member of the transition team of South Carolina Treasurer Curtis M. Loftis, Jr.[20]