We're absolutely SURE they were legitly the Russian government? No, I know, okay. It sounds stupid and it probably IS stupid, but what better way to make us willingly choose to fight the United State's war on the side of the US than to give us first-hand reasons to hate the Russians? The enemy of my enemy is my ally, or some Art of War shit like that. We weren't inspired to fight beside the Americans just by being ASKED to fight and given luxuries, so they gave us reason to fight.