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. -. - 30 - organization and management of CIA'S Clandestine Services with a view to meeting the objectives of the Board's recommendation and as the basis for the submission of a future progress report at an appropriate time. I ' In its seventh written report to the President, dated October 4, 1960, the Board made the following comments on the subject: "VII. Major Covert Action Programs "The Board has again reviewed a number of the major covert action programs which are in varying stages of development in CIA. Because of their sensitivity, significant aspects of this review will be reported orally to you o r your representative. ' I The last mentioned report was based upon a series of brief- ings which the Board had been provided by personnel of CIA on the status of the proposed covert operation in Cuba, and on oral reports , made to the Board by Board representatives who had extensively examined the covert action plan for Cuba and who had expressed considerable reservations thereon, including reservations as to the manner in which the planning and programming of the operation was being administered. 1 In its eighth written report to the President, dated January 5, 1961, the Board made the following comments on the subject: "VIII. Recommendations Pertaining to CIA'S Covert Action Program "You have approved the 4 recommendations we made on various aspects of CIA'S covert action programs. As a result, we are pleased to report that a t present the Special NSC 541212 Group appears to be better organized and to be functioning with greater effective- ness than w a s the case in earlier times. we continue to have concern as to whether the Clandestine Services of CLA are sufficiently well organized and managed to carry out covert action programs. Further, we have been unable to conclude that, on balance, a l l of the covert action programs undertaken by CIA up to this time have been worth the risk o r the great expenditure of manpower, money and However, . -