"Opera Orientalis" was the code name given to a much larger operation, part of which involved blowing up Jewish targets to discredit the Croatians, [Igor Primorac] says. Primorac, born to a Croatian father and a Jewish mother - a typical Yugoslavian mixture - grew up in the Serbian and Yugoslav capital Belgrade.

The officers are charged with conspiracy against the new Serbian government, terrorism against the Jewish targets and the US Consulate where a bomb exploded last year, embezzlement and attempting to destabilize the regime. The two civilians are accused of planting the explosives at the behest of Serbian intelligence.

The aim of "Opera Orientalis" was to maintain Yugoslavian integrity by preventing the secession of Croatia and Slovenia, the defendants have reportedly claimed in their defense. They were brought to trial, Primorac, says because of an attempt to rid the army of pro-Communist commanders and replace them with Cetniks ( Serbian nationalists).