USIP hosted a special briefing Wednesday for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the head of U.S. European Command, Adm. James Stavridis, long an advocate of “smart power” and strong interagency collaboration.

As SACEUR and EUCOM commander, Stavridis is responsible for a number of areas of conflict and operations, including Afghanistan and Libya, two countries where USIP is at work in the field.

Stavridis was briefed on some of the highest impact work USIP is doing, from Andrew Wilder, the director of the Afghanistan and Pakistan program, Scott Worden, who performs rule of law work in South Asia, and Manal Omar, director of the Iraq, Iran and North Africa programs.

Mike Lekson, deputy provost for the Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding, told Stavridis about the capacity-building work USIP does through programs like the popular Ministry of Defense Advisors, or MoDA, program.

“We were pleased to have the opportunity to brief Admiral Jim Stavridis on the important work the Institute is doing on the ground in places like Afghanistan and Libya,” said Dr. Richard H. Solomon, president of USIP. “USIP is proud of its longstanding collaboration with the U.S. military as it seeks to stabilize countries riven with conflict and support transitions to democratic rule in Arab Spring countries.”

While NATO’s hand is in a number of operations, it has been focused on the ones in Libya for the last several months. Stavridis met with USIP staffers one day before Col. Muammar Qaddafi was killed in Libya. Stavridis posted on his Facebook account Oct. 21 that he would recommend NATO conclude its operations there.

Omar briefed the admiral on what USIP is doing specifically in Libya, including initial work on how to create an alliance of Libyan “facilitators” as well as identify religious and community leaders to help build and maintain stability in the new Libya. USIP is helping to form a “rapid response team” comprised of Libyans who will work to end or prevent violence as it erupts. Among other efforts, USIP is hosting a rule of law roundtable there in November.

Stavridis stopped by USIP’s Washington headquarters during a three-day visit to Washington. “This meeting is indicative of the growing bonds between the Institute and other national security actors, signifying the importance of the Institute’s work to enhance our national security, empower the nation to manage violent conflict and reduce costs,” said Paul Hughes, a retired Army colonel and the Institute’s chief of staff.