United States involvement in INTERPOL began in 1938, 15 years after the organization's inception. From then until 1977, the level of participation varied. Currently, the U.S. attorney general is the permanent representative. INTERPOL has grown from an organization comprised of a small number of European countries to a worldwide consortium of 135 member countries dedicated to mutual assistance and cooperation in the fight against international crime. The key element of INTERPOL is the National Central Bureau (NCB). Each member country has an NCB , which operates within its own national laws and INTERPOL guidelines. The USNCB receives requests for arrests, extraditions, license and background checks, and humanitarian matters. Recent years have seen an expansion of program initiatives by USNCB. An antiterrorist unit, a financial crime unit, and a fugitive unit -- along with others -- have begun with USNCB's backing and interest. The expanded involvement of the United States in INTERPOL is not limited to the development of programs at the USNCB. It extends also to the General Secretariat at St. Cloud, France, where the number of U.S. participants has grown during the past several years. A sidebar listing INTERPOL-affiliated countries is provided.