Story highlights Lawyer: "If she were to return to Afghanistan, she would be in fear of her safety"

Rahmani: "There is a war ... there is discrimination against the female in Afghanistan"

(CNN) Three years ago, Niloofar Rahmani became the first woman to earn her wings in Afghanistan's air force. But her place in history as an international symbol of female empowerment and courage has effectively cost her the ability to live in her homeland.

Now, she's seeking asylum in the United States.

Capt. Rahmani said it's no longer safe for her to live in Afghanistan. Her attorney, Kimberly Motley, said her client has received numerous threats from insurgents and condemnation from government officials.

"If she were to return to Afghanistan, she would be in fear of her safety," Motley told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper."

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