Nahas

MEMORANDUM **

Imad Muhieddine Nahas, a native and citizen of Lebanon, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) decision denying his applications for asylum, withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). Reviewing for substantial evidence, Gu v. Gonzales, 454 F.3d 1014, 1018 (9th Cir. 2006), we deny in part and dismiss in part the petition for review.

The BIA determined there was no evidence of an objective basis for Nahas’ stated fear that, if removed to Lebanon, he would be persecuted because he was a pilot who had lived in the United States for the previous twelve years. We are not compelled to conclude otherwise. Nahas therefore failed to demonstrate a well- *685 founded fear of future persecution. See Cordon-Garcia v. INS, 204 F.3d 985, 990 (9th Cir.2000) (stating that petitioner must provide “credible, direct, and specific evidence” to satisfy the objective component of a well-founded fear of persecution claim).

Because Nahas failed to establish eligibility for asylum, he necessarily failed to meet the more stringent standard for withholding of…