помогите, плз, перевести ""withering criticism"

[1979Alena]

помогите, плз, перевести ""withering criticism"

Контекст:

In the face of this withering criticism even president Olusegun Obasanjo, who bears most of the responsibility for the fiasco, appeared fairly contrite when he appealed for calm in an unscheduled television address just before the results were announced

http://www.economist.com/daily/news/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=9065080

Спасибо.

[Halipupu]

Very harsh, biting, the kind of criticism to which the logical response would be to wither up and go and cry in the corner like a little girl.

[Alex Nord]

уничижительная критика?

[Irina Primakova]

губительный; опустошительный

[Svetlana_N]

сокрушительная (жесткая) критика