SMOKESCREEN

[noun] [C] - something which hides the truth about a person's intentionsThis job creation scheme is just a smokescreen to divert attention from the government's poor record on unemployment.Instead of doing something about the problem, the council is hiding behind a smokescreen of jargon and bureaucracy.This is an outrageously offensive book which is being published under the smokescreen of free speech.A smokescreen is also an artificial cloud of smoke that is used to hide the movements or positions of soldiers from the enemy.Nowadays, smokescreens need to block not only visible light but also the infra-red sights that soldiers use to spot targets.