Yeah, I read about this a day or so ago at BBC (this article) and I too was surprised at his bluntness; no sugar-coating there! I'm glad to see such a powerful and well-respected man speak up.

And to answer your question, I have heard people discredit him already >_< I posted about this at another forum I go to (where discussions like these are totally allowed and appreciated) and someone said "He's becoming senile and doesn't know what he's talking about.".