Guzelian

MEMORANDUM **

Krikor Guzelian, a native and citizen of Lebanon, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence, Singh v. INS, 134 F.3d 962, 966 (9th Cir.1998), and we deny the petition for review.

Guzelian does not challenge the agency’s dispositive finding that his asylum application was time-barred. See Martinez-Serrano v. INS, 94 F.3d 1256, 1259-60 (9th Cir.1996) (issues not specifically raised and argued in a party’s opening brief are waived). We reject Guzelian’s humanitarian asylum contention because it is foreclosed by the agency’s time-bar determination.

Substantial evidence supports the agency’s finding that Guzelian failed to establish past persecution because Guzelian failed to show the harm he suffered during the civil war in Lebanon occurred, even in part, on account of a protected ground. See Ochave v. INS, 254 F.3d 859, 865 (9th Cir.2001) (“Asylum generally is not available to victims of…