Former CIA Director James Woolsey (AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) - Former CIA Director James Woolsey suggested Sunday that instead of reacting to Russian hacking with cyberattacks or deterrence, the U.S. could lower the price of oil by allowing “methanol with an M instead of just gasoline” for cars.



“Just because cyber is what came at us probably from Russians doesn’t mean we go back with cyberattacks or deterrence or anything. For example, you could take steps to lower the price of oil by letting substitutes in for driving cars, methanol with an M instead of just gasoline. That will drive the price of oil and gasoline down rather substantially,” Woolsey told ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”





“You can’t think of anything that’s going to, a, be more of a problem for Russia, and b, be more helpful to American consumers and industry than that,” Woolsey said.



Woolsey served as CIA director under President Bill Clinton. President-elect Donald Trump recently hired Woolsey to serve as senior adviser on intelligence, national security, and defense.



“Donald Trump keeps saying it could be China or someone in bed. Is that possible?” ABC’s Martha Raddatz asked.



“Well, the Chinese are good, and one of the things you do in cyber is try to look like somebody else, so to have your hacking look like somebody else’s hacking, but there’s -- looks like there’s a building consensus on this,” Woolsey said.



When asked whether he believed it was a Russian hack, Woolsey said, “This is really an NSA decision, and if -- I think more than anything else, and if NSA is confident that it’s the Russians, then it almost certainly is. Depends on them.”



“The CIA director Michael Hayden says Trump is already antagonizing the intelligence community and that’s a problem. Is it a problem if he doesn’t agree with the intelligence community when he comes and takes office?” Raddatz asked.



“Well, you know, I think that is really the wrong stance to take. The intelligence community works for the president, not the other way around. They don’t -- he doesn’t report to them. That’s really I think a rather backwards statement from the intelligence agency,” Woolsey said.



“I think that it’s important to realize also that your response to these things often does not need to be and should not be in the same box that you are attacked in. Just because cyber is what came at us probably from Russians doesn’t mean we go back with cyberattacks or deterrence or anything,” he said.



“For example, you could take steps to lower the price of oil by letting substitutes in for driving cars, methanol with an M instead of just gasoline. That will drive the price of oil and gasoline down rather substantially. You can’t think of anything that’s going to, a, be more of a problem for Russia, and b, be more helpful to American consumers and industry than that. So why not do that instead of getting all bogged down on exactly who hacked whom, when,” Woolsey added.