smokescreen

WORDNET DICTIONARY

smokescreen(n = noun.artifact) smoke screen - (military) screen consisting of a cloud of smoke that obscures movements;

is a kind of screen

smokescreen(n = noun.act) smoke screen - an action intended to conceal or confuse or obscure; "requesting new powers of surveillance is just a smokescreen to hide their failures"

is a kind of concealing, concealment, hiding

smokescreen, n.
1 a cloud of smoke diffused to conceal (esp. military) operations.
2 a device or ruse for disguising one's activities.