Croatian Generals Stand Trial in Serb Killings

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Three generals regarded as national heroes in Croatia went on trial yesterday, accused of orchestrating the killing of at least 150 Serbs in a 1995 military campaign that unleashed widespread murder and pillage.

Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak, and Mladen Markac are also accused of responsibility for the expulsion of up to 200,000 people in the offensive, known as "Operation Storm," to reclaim the Krajina region of southern Croatia from rebel Serbs.

The trial in the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal is forcing Croatia to confront the brutal reality of the campaign — seen by many Croats as a military triumph — and the key role played by the late president, Franjo Tudjman.