It's an idiom meaning to mislead someone.
This metaphoric expression alludes to throwing dust or sand in the air to confuse a pursuing enemy.
http://www.answers.com/topic/throw-dust-in-someone-s-eyes

They're not allowed to see her delivering these gifts; if caught she will throw ashes into their eyes temporarily blinding them! And naughty children will ...
blog.clareflorist.co.uk/flowers/occassions/ - 92k - Cached - Similar pages

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-01-24 16:11:03 GMT)
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to make trouble for someone /or make someone not see clearly

"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." ... If you throw ashes, ashes will follow you. If you try to make trouble for others, you will bring it upon ...
www.notz.com/african_language.htm - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
Talking last night on KIBRIS TV's news bulletin, Mr Talat noted that with these "openings" Mr Denktas is trying to "throw ashes into the eyes of the world" ...
www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2003/03-07-14.tcpr.html - 42k - Cached - Similar pages

An option!

STRIKING BUTCHERS ASSAIL DAUGHERTY; Arraign Attorney General for ...... reported investigation into profiteering by retail meat dealers was in effect the throwing up of a smoke screen to "cover up the sins of the Beef Trust. ...
query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20B1EF63E5D14738DDDAD0A94DA415B818EF1D3 - 5k - Cached - Similar pages

HYLAN AND SWANN INQUIRY IS BEGUN; Senator Robinson and Assemblyman ...... the calling of ourselves to testify--was a smoke screen to cover up what the District Attorney's office had failed to accomplish for the past years. ...
query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60D1EF83D5D14738DDDA10894D9405B818EF1D3 - 14k - Cached - Similar pages

Chavez says plot to kill him has been traced to Guatemala - TopixIt's a smoke screen to cover up the petro-dollars he uses to try to buy other Rogue Leaders such as Evo Morales and his closest friend Fidelito. WHY DOES HE ...
www.topix.com/forum/who/hugo-chavez/TH79D22CG2QBVLHVL - 83k - Cached - Similar pages

McNeil vs. Johnson and JohnsonThat's just a smoke screen to cover up what is basically nothing more than synthetic heroin. It's a poor man's "dirty" opiate. ...
mb.rxlist.com/rxboard/ultram.pl?noframes;read=2165 - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

NEWS UPDATE !!!- A Vision..... A Promise......How could one endeavour to cast a ‘smoke screen’ to cover up and camouflage the foregoing? The above data reported by the Controller of Exchange had been in ...
www.perc.gov.lk/news-i3.html - 42k - Cached - Similar pages

Young and the Restless Recap: April 7, 2006A reporter then asks, "if the press conference wasn't just a smoke screen to cover up the disaster? They answer the questions, as best they could, ...
soaps.about.com/od/youngandrestlessupdates/a/yr040706_2.htm - 21k - Cached - Similar pages

dow36K... I still think is that they simply made a mistake in their original argument, and have since tried to throw up a smoke screen to cover up that mistake. ...
web.mit.edu/krugman/www/dow36K.html - 8k - Cached - Similar pages

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Note added at 7 hrs (2008-01-24 22:39:06 GMT)
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