This quote is associated with the Taliban in reference to the US occupation of Afghanistan.
I understand the metaphorical meaning of the quote — i.e. the point that it makes.
But I am intrigued by the literal meaning. In particular, I can't work out what it means to "have the watch", nor what the "watch" refers to metaphorically.
Anybody know?
For the record, I've done some searches, but have only turned up explanations of the metaphoric meaning, nothing about analysis of the literal meaning.
Best Answer
Several sources I've checked attribute this quote to an Afghan proverb.
The meaning of the second part is clear: time is on our side. But what does the "watches" in the first part refer to?
Benjamin Harman's answer argues that the saying is a double entendre between "watch" as in "wristwatch" and "watch" as in "stand watch".
However, given that "watch" ("timepiece") and "watch" ("lookout") / "watch" ("keep guard") seem to be completely different words in both of the main Afghan languages: Dari and Pastho, it is not possible that the original Afghan saying (which I've been unable to find -- see comment) used the same word for all of those.
The most reasonable explanation is that "watches" here refers to the instruments, the hardware, the material means of winning a battle; while "time" refers to the passing of time and the immaterial means of winning: political changes, losing local support, difficulty of economically sustaining a war in the long time, etc.
EDIT: It turns out there's another widespread rendering of the saying which uses "clocks" instead of "watches". This reinforces the meaning of "watches" as actual timepieces.