Washington, Rabi Al-Awwal 23, 1432, Feb 26, 2011, SPA -- The U.S. military has started withdrawing troops from the Pech Valley in eastern Afghanistan, an area once said to be vital to the war effort in the region, the Pentagon said Friday. The commander of U.S.-led forces in eastern Afghanistan, Major General John Campbell, is "repositioning" forces "within the province to achieve greater effect and allow for more flexibility," said Lieutenant Colonel Elizabeth Robbins, a Pentagon spokeswoman. Campbell "is moving forces around, ... away from isolated static security outposts and more towards protecting the population in Kunar [Province]," Robbins told reporters. "There are dozens of mountain passes, and we cannot be in all of them," Robbins said, confirming reports of the Pech withdrawal in Friday's Washington Post and New York Times. The Washington Post said a battalion of about 800 U.S. soldiers have been deployed to the valley since 2006. "If your forces are static, it takes away your opportunities and flexibility," Campbell told the newspaper. The New York Times reported that U.S. troops started withdrawing from the valley February 15, and that Afghan army units will remain in the valley. --SPA 11:24 LOCAL TIME 08:24 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/868198