The New York Times has revealed at least four top White House lawyers took part in talks about whether to destroy videotapes showing the interrogation of two prisoners held in secret jails.

a former intelligence official says top White House officials expressed “vigorous sentiment” in favor of destroying the tapes.

The disclosure comes as a federal judge has ordered a new hearing into whether the tapes’ destruction violated his order in to preserve evidence. U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy made the initial ruling in a lawsuit brought by 16 Guantanamo Bay prisoners in June 2005. The tapes were destroyed just five months later. Judge Kennedy’s call for a new hearing defies Bush administration pleas for him to stay out of the case pending a Justice Department probe. Lawyers for Guantanamo prisoners say the tapes could contain proof that evidence against them was obtained through torture.