KEY POINTS:
BELGRADE - Former Croatian general Ante Gotovina has gone on trial in The Hague accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
General Gotovina, 52, regarded as a hero by many Croatians, sat with aides, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, accused of the persecution of 200,000 Serbs and the deaths of 150 civilians in Krajina in an offensive code-named "Operation Storm".
UN prosecutor Alan Tieger said: "This trial arises from the forcible elimination of Krajina Serbs from Croatia and the destruction of their community in August 1995 and the roles and responsibilities of the generals in that process." All three deny the charges.
- INDEPENDENT
