Zaarour

MEMORANDUM ***

Pierre D. Zaarour, a native and citizen of Lebanon, petitions for revieew of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) dismissing his appeal from an order of an immigration judge denying his applications for asylum and withholding of deportation. Because the transitional rules apply, we have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a). See Kalaw v. INS, 133 F.3d 1147, 1150 (9th Cir.1997). We deny the petition.

We review the BIA’s factual findings for substantial evidence. See Andriasian v. INS, 180 F.3d 1033, 1040 (9th Cir.1999). When an alien seeks a reversal of the BIA’s ruling, “he must show that the evidence he presented was so compelling that no reasonable factfinder could fail to find the requisite fear of persecution.” INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483-484 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992).

Because Zaarour’s evidence that he was forced to provide camouflage cloth for the Christian Lebanese Militia did not compel a finding of past persecution or a well founded fear of future persecution on account of his neutral political opinion, the BIA’s decision to deny asylum is supported by substantial evidence. See id. at 482-83 , 112 S.Ct.…